2 Macomb sheriff's deputies on leave, face charges after 1 slaps teen in custody

Two veteran Macomb County sheriff's deputies face criminal charges and are on paid leave after one of the deputies was accused of slapping a teenage boy in the face while he was in their custody to be transported to the Juvenile Justice Center, county authorities said.

Deputy Derek Reed, a 10-year veteran, is charged with fourth-degree child abuse and public official, willful failure to uphold the law, in the incident last month. Deputy Alan Weir, a 16-year department veteran, was charged with willful neglect of duty. The charges are one-year misdemeanors, authorities said Wednesday.

Reed's attorney, Marc Curtis, said in an email to the Free Press on Thursday: "Being a law enforcement officer in today's undisciplined society causes officers to be second guessed for every decision they make when faced with an out-of-control individual. Deputy Reed is a highly trained use of force deputy and instructor, who was acting according to his training and experience. We look forward to putting forth a vigorous defense demonstrating same."

Weir's attorney, Avis Choulagh, had no comment Wednesday.

'Fidgety' 14-year-old was being taken in on probation violation

The incident happened Aug. 29 in New Haven, according to sheriff's officials, who said the Sheriff's Office received notice from Children's Protective Services and immediately began investigating.

County Prosecutor Peter Lucido told the Free Press the deputies were picking up the 14-year-old boy on a probation violation. He said the boy, who he described as "fidgety," was in the back of the patrol vehicle to be taken to the county's Juvenile Justice Center in Mount Clemens.

Body camera video of the incident released late Thursday under a Freedom of Information Act request shows deputies struggling with the handcuffed boy, who continually protested he had done nothing wrong and used vulgarities.

The boy was placed in the back of a sheriff's vehicle and the door was shut. At one point, an officer opened the door and said to the boy: "Do you want me to slap you in the face? Do you want to be treated like a little bitch? ... Do you want to be treated like a child?"

The boy is heard repeatedly telling the deputy to take the handcuffs off and fight him like a man. The deputy opens and closes the door, and at one point reopens the door and the boy is dragged out of the back seat and pinned facedown on the ground.

An officer is heard saying, "You need to stop this. You need to stop." The boy complains of "police brutality." An officer says the boy is trying to harm himself and they are trying to protect him. It sounds like the boy is crying when he is placed back into the vehicle.

Reed's report states they were assisting a St. Clair County juvenile probation officer to take the boy into custody. The report states the boy was slamming his head against the patrol vehicle's window and kicking the door.

"I opened the door and in the midst of trying to undo his seat belt, (the boy) was struck in the mouth ... (The boy) was moving around the rear of the vehicle making sounds as he was going to spit on me. I grabbed his hair and pulling his head down toward the ground so he could not spit at anyone."

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Lucido said when the boy was brought to the Juvenile Justice Center, he reported the incident and two other deputies took a report. He said deputies took photographs of the boy and a statement.

"When you have authority over the youth, you are in a special relationship where you've exerted that authority. He's in your care and custody and control," Lucido said of the child abuse charge, which he said he believes is appropriate.

Deputies plead not guilty

Authorities indicated the incident was caught on video. Lucido said, in general, "digital evidence is creating less and less of the dialog today because it's so clear."

Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said in a news release that his office "takes all allegations of this nature seriously. Individuals in positions of power, especially those in law enforcement, must be held to the highest of standards."

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The Sheriff's Office said it immediately launched an investigation into the incident, which was completed and turned over to the prosecutor for action, including requested charges.

The deputies were arraigned Wednesday in 42-2 District Court in New Baltimore, where Judge William Hackel III set $100 personal bonds and conditions that include no contact with the boy. Court records indicate Reed, age 44, and Weir, age 50, both pleaded not guilty. Their pretrials are set for Oct. 30.

In a separate news release, Lucido said: "While we recognize the challenging situations law enforcement officers often face, it is our firm commitment to ensure that the boundaries of justice and restraint are never crossed. We must hold those entrusted with upholding the law to the highest standard."

Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2 Macomb sheriff's deputies charged after 1 slaps teen